1. Related Applications
There are no applications related hereto heretofore filed in this or any foreign country.
2. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to index tabs and more particularly to such tabs that are releasably positionable on sheet material.
3. Description of Prior Art p It is oftentimes desirable, especially in the business arts, to have a small, inexpensive, indexing tab that may be releasably positioned about the periphery of paper or other sheet material to aid in its identification. This need has been long recognized and responsively many such devices have become known. The instant invention provides a new member of this group of devices.
Many such tabs heretofore known, and probably the original progenitors, were more or less fixedly positioned about the periphery of a sheet and these tabs generally were positioned, at least for any effective use on only one sheet. Such type of devices is epitomized by that described in the instant inventor's prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,463,515 issued Aug. 26, 1969. This type of tab structure is readily distinguishable from the instant species of index tab because of the fixed positioning of the former.
Releasably positionable indexing tabs having some sort of associated clip to accomplish releasable fastening on a sheet structure to be serviced have also become known. Such indexing tabs may be, for ease of consideration, divided into a first more complex class using a compound clip having hingably related movable parts and a second, more simple, class providing a rententently deformable clip of unitary structure such as the ordinary wire paper clip of present day commerce. The instant invention is of the latter class.
The instant invention is distinguished from the prior art by providing a semicircular protruding tab supported by a structurally integral body of some length that is folded upon itself to be positionable on both sides of a sheet to be serviced with a fastening clip positioned on the outer surfaces of the tab body so that the clip does not come into contact with the sheet being serviced. My structure allows simpler and easier insertion on and removal from the periphery of a sheet, as the traditional paper clip tends to gouge sheets, especially on removal when at least one end portion tends to engage a sheet because of its generally sharp edge and somewhat skewed positioning relative to the sheet. Again, the tab body of the instant invention provides a means for alignment and positioning of the structure upon a sheet, as one fold is parallel with and immediately adjacent the periphery of a sheet when the device is properly placed. The body structure of the instant tab also provides a strong semi-rigid element that does not so readily tear or have the potentiality for tearing as the periphery of a sheet being serviced because of its strength, its greater areal contact with a sheet than a paper clip by itself and because the semicircular tab has a somewhat curvilinear orientation where its periphery contacts the periphery of a serviced sheet. The body of my index tab may be made of transparent material so that the material underneath it may be read through the body and its inner portion may be particularly configured and marked to serve as a secondary indexing element at a spaced distance inwardly from the periphery of a sheet being serviced to designate positioning of printed lines or other physical things on the sheet. Because of its particular structure, the instant invention will tend to remain aligned in proper position on a sheet rather than skew or twist relative thereto as will most prior art devices. The size and shape of my device tend to allow it to be more readily manipulated for placement and removal, as the device itself tends to serve as somewhat of a handle for such purposes.
My invention thusly differs both structurally and functionally from the prior art, individually or in combination.